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Voter ID law being challenged in federal court
Voter ID law being challenged in federal court
MADISON (WITI) -- In a marathon session in Madison on Thursday, November 14th, the Assembly debated several controversial bills that could change the way Wisconsin votes.
Republican lawmakers in the Assembly brought a series of bills to the floor on Thursday -- the year's last scheduled day of voting.
The bills would reinstate the Voter ID Law, limit early voting to weekdays between 7:30 a.m. and 6:00 p.m., and limit recall elections.
Vos says the bills are designed to protect the integrity of elections.
"I don't want to risk the 2014 elections. The Democrats' standard line is going to be, they just don't care if fraud exists. They think it's more important to cast a wide net and let everybody vote and if they vote once or twice, that doesn't seem to rise to the level of their concern. We want to do the exact opposite to say every single person has the right to vote -- and that's why we've gone to extreme measures to guarantee that everybody has a chance," Assembly Speaker Robin Vos said.
Assembly Minority Leader Peter Barca says the focus on voting shows that the GOP has misplaced priorities.
"It's almost like they want the elections to be over before the first vote is cast. The problem in Wisconsin is not that too many people are voting, it's that too few people are working," Barca said.
Rep. Cory Mason (D - Racine_ said the bills were designed to suppress minority votes.
"These bills have a racist impact on communities of color. You can't separate the intent of what they're saying with the effect of what's going to happen, which is that fewer people of color will have access to the polls. That's really beneath the Republican Party and it's beneath Wisconsin," Rep. Mason said.
Vos says the purpose of the bills is to limit fraud, not restrict access.
"We are doing everything we can to allow people the opportunity to vote as long as they have some kind of identification, or at least swear under penalty that they're not trying to commit voter fraud," Vos said.
Thursday was the final day of voting, though several lawmakers said these debates could spill into Friday morning.